Catching on

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published
7:00 pm EST, Thursday, January 20, 2005

With good reason.

After all these years, he still gets down in the trenches. While other high profile coaches delegate their authority, Paterno is on the road, visiting, smiling and answering questions. That's a big reason why Paterno has always recruited well over the course of time.

Thursday morning was a perfect example.

Paterno and an assistant coach,BrianNorwood, visited Newtown High and met with Brennan Coakley, a tight end who committed to Penn State this past November.

The meeting was very informal - Coakley will sign a national letter of intent in February - but that was hardly the point.

The fact that Paterno, 73, was there, in person, spoke volumes.

"I think it's nice to go to the schools. It's good for you so you don't forget where you came from," Paterno said. "Sometimes, you can forget that these kids are 17-18 years old. It's nice to let them know that you're there."

Paterno wasn't there very long; he also traveled to New Haven to meet with Hyde defensive back Willie Harriott.

Paterno answered a few media questions, and laid to rest one very big rumor.

"I think the worst thing man ever made was a calendar," Paterno said.

Paterno's contract with Penn State runs through 2008. He plans on honoring every second of it. He feels that his age is just a number, and that he has at least five good years left in his tank.

His stamina obviously helps him on the recruiting front.

"I wasn't too worried about that," Coakley said. "I know that he's going to be my coach throughout my career. He doesn't act his age. He acts 30 years younger."

Coakley said that Penn State sees him as a receiving tight end, one that has the ability to stretch the middle of the field. If he can do that over the next few seasons, it will greatly enhance the Nittany Lions' passing game.

"We have some good wide receivers," Coakley said. "We have a lot of talent in this recruiting class. If things work out, we can get to a bowl game."

The next few classes are critical to Paterno, who has watched his team slide to the bottom of the Big Ten conference over the last two seasons.

Last season, Penn State posted a 4-7 record, 2-6 in conference. That's not likely to make Paterno a happy man, especially with 20 career bowl wins and seven undefeated seasons in his career.

"We have the chance to be a very good team," Paterno said. "I want to hang around until we have a great team again."

If that's the case, Paterno is off to a good start. He has a strong group coming in next season. Derrick Williams, a wide receiver from Greenbelt, Md., is the third-ranked overall prospect in the recruiting class, according to Scout.com.

Justin King, a cornerback from Pennsylvania, is the top-rated player at his position and No. 8 overall.

Coakley hopes to be a part of that rebuilding process.

At 6-foot-5, he's a tough matchup because he has good speed. He's mobile, strong, and has a long, lean body that can add muscle.

This season, Coakley caught five touchdown passes for the Nighthawks. He had 24 receptions for 392 yards.

However, Coakley is not the only Division I player coming out of Newtown High this year.

"This year with Brennan and Dan going to major programs, it's given the entire football program a boost," Newtown coach Ken Roberts said. "Everyone has been in a positive frame of mind. This year, Brennan, had a good year on the field. But he matured much more as a person."